- What is a Mustang Shelby GT-H?
- 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500-H—The Most Powerful Shelby Rental Car, Ever
- How to Rent a Shelby GT-H
In 1966, the consummate salesman—Carroll Shelby—convinced Hertz Rental Car to buy 1,001 Mustang Shelby GT350s, give them a special black and gold livery, and rent them to normal people. Thus, the Rent-a-Racer Shelby Mustang GT350-H was born. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Shelby American has renewed that partnership with Hertz yet again to bring back the legendary GT-H rental program.
The buck doesn’t stop at, hey, there’s a new Mustang Shelby GT-H (several modern incarnations have hit Hertz lots in the past decade or two), because there are actually two, a more “basic” version and, at select Hertz locations in the United States, the most powerful Shelby American rental car ever, the new 900-hp 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500-H. Either could be yours for an afternoon or weekend.
What is a Mustang Shelby GT-H?
Calling the regular 2022 Mustang Shelby GT-H “basic” is a disservice to this iconic pony car. The current-generation S550 Mustang from Ford is the best evolution of the breed; boasting world-class styling, 310 hp in the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four models and 450 hp with the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8, and handling dynamics and passenger ergonomics on par with the best in the world.
The 2022 Shelby GT-H—the one without 900 hp—takes the S550 Mustang’s look and performance to the next level, adding the 480-hp Ford Performance Package and various Shelby American styling features, including a vented Shelby GT deep-draw hood, upper grille, facia winglets, rear spoiler, and taillight panel. Gloss black staggered 20-inch wheels (9 inches wide in front, 10 in back) wearing Shelby-spec performance rubber and the Shelby by Borla cat-back exhaust system give the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT-H a street presence that stands out amongst lesser ‘Stangs.
Of course, no Hertz Mustang Shelby GT-H would be complete without the iconic black and gold livery, featuring over-the-top Le Mans-style stripes, Shelby leather seat covers (Fastbacks only) and embroidered headrests (convertibles only), driver and passenger side stripes, Hertz engine caps, Shelby American 60th anniversary badging, and the CSM numbered dash plaque and engine plate that separates Shelby Mustangs from standard Ford Mustangs. Convertible Mustang Shelby GT-Hs will also receive a Shelby convertible light/rollbar. Fun side note: You can’t buy a convertible Shelby Mustang from Ford, they are only available through Shelby American.
2022 Mustang Shelby GT500-H—The Most Powerful Shelby Rental Car, Ever
The Mustang Shelby GT500-H is an entirely different animal, one based on the 825-hp Super Snake. Only Shelby replaces the standard Eaton supercharger and tuning for a 3.8-liter twin-screw unit—now from Whipple—and dresses it in a Hertz-exclusive gold finish—and doubles the intercooler and heat exchanger surface area, keeping those charge temperatures low.
You might be wondering why Shelby went with the bigger Whipple supercharger and other hard parts on the GT500-H and didn’t simply revise the Super Snake’s tuning to achieve the 75-hp-plus gain—it’s all about gas. The track-centric Shelby American Super Snake makes its conservatively rated 825 hp on 93-octane gasoline, where the GT500-H will put (again, conservatively rated to account for variations in octane and fuel quality) 900 powerful ponies to the ground using more readily available 91-octane gasoline.
To manage the power, the GT500-H receives performance half shafts and even wider staggered gloss black 20-inch wheels than the GT-H, 11 inches wide in front and 11.5 rear, also wearing Shelby-spec performance tires. A Shelby pre-preg dry carbon fiber hood takes 30-pounds off the nose, is stronger than the standard steel hood, with better heat extraction and under-hood pressure ventilation, as well. The GT500-H wears the same striping and bading as its less-powerful Hertz stablemate, but unlike the GT-H, is available only as a coupe.
How to Rent a Shelby GT-H
This Hertz and Shelby custom car partnership will only last three years, and once the program concludes at the end of the S550 Mustang’s model run, Hertz will make the Shelby Mustangs available for sale as they have done in the past. With only 1200 GT-H and 25 GT500-H (six in special-edition Oxford White) models being built, these instant collectibles will command a high sale price (the 1966 Shelby GT350-Hs are some of the most valuable Mustangs in the pantheon, easily commanding six-figure sums). For only $99 and $399 a day for the GT-H and GT500-H, respectively, you can enjoy the experience of these legendary pony cars without incurring their premium price tags of ownership.
The 2022 Mustang Shelby GT-H Fastbacks and Convertibles will be available to rent beginning summer 2022 in Atlanta, Dallas, Florida cities: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa; Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco, primarily at airport locations. The GT500-H, with only 25 examples being built, will be a little harder to find—only available in Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, and Tampa.
Hertz encourages prospective GT-H and GT500-H renters to use the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program, allowing customers to not break stride and go straight to their vehicle when picking up one these amazing Shelby Mustangs, and this editor can attest to the convenience of the program (plus, it’s free). When asked if Shelby American and Hertz were concerned about parts and engines being stolen out of these uber-desirable Mustangs—as was common with the 1966 GT350-H—they expressed no worries, stating that it is too few people to worry about and they can’t jeopardize the experience for all other customers over an edge case. Kudos to you, Shelby American and Hertz!
Keyword: Put the Hertz On Your Vacation With This Rentable 900-HP Shelby Mustang